


A Home With You

by beautifulEnmity



Category: Countdown to Countdown (Webcomic)
Genre: But the innocent kind, Cuddling & Snuggling, Fluff, Hugging, Hurt/Comfort, I think?, M/M, Nightmares, Sleeping Together, definitely comfort
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-07-05
Updated: 2018-07-05
Packaged: 2019-06-05 21:38:09
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 763
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15179927
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/beautifulEnmity/pseuds/beautifulEnmity
Summary: NIghtmares haunt Iris when he's asleep. Fortunately Lillium is there to comfort him after he wakes up panicked and disoriented.





	A Home With You

Iris wakes up to arms wound around him. Before he even has time to really asses the situation his body reacts instinctively and his elbow jams back into someone's ribs who groans in pain and let's Iris go.   
Panicking, his mind still caught up in his latest nightmare, he rolls away and spins around expecting to see a glitch or some other horrible abomination. 

It takes a second for him to register the pink mop of hair and the combo of white shirt and brown vest that he's grown accustomed to lately. He takes a shaky breath of relief as the tension leaves his body and his frantically beating heart finally begins to slow down. 

It's Lillium. Of course it's Lillium.  
Lillium who's still letting out pained huffs and holds his side, fixing Iris with an accusatory stare. 

"What was that for?" 

Iris feels a bit of heat creep into his cheeks and he turns his head away quickly. 

"Sorry," he mumbles, "I just...had a nightmare and panicked. It won't happen again."

There's no response, but he hears shuffling and clothes rustling. He refuses to look at Lillium until he feels a hand gently touch his shoulder.  
He turns his head and looks up.  
Coming face to face with Lillium, his heart does a little jump that he tries his best to ignore.  
Instead he tries to decipher the swirling emotions in those pink eyes that look at him with such intensity.

He remembers reading a book back at the lab. It said that eyes are the windows to the soul. Of course he didn't believe that.   
The only eyes that met his were hooded, guarded or just cold as they went about testing his abilities, noting failure after failure. Even the eyes of the other children there seemed lifeless.   
But not Lillium. The first time he had looked at him, he had known there was something different. Not just that he didn't come from the lab, but just something else that he couldn't quite place his finger on.  
It had taken some time getting accustomed to each other, but then it had clicked for him. 

Lillium's eyes really did show his soul. He wore his heart on his sleeve, his emotions so genuine and intense that Iris was stunned. 

And right now his eyes told him everything. There is no accusation anymore. Just sadness and most of all understanding. 

"Iris, it's alright."

His voice is soft and comforting and for the first time Iris thinks that Lillium might be able to read his emotions just as well. Because this is exactly what he needs to hear; what he needs to feel right now.   
Tears start to form in his eyes, blurring his vision so that he can't see Lillium clearly anymore, but just the feeling of him being there reassures him.

"Do you need a hug?" Lillium asks and Iris nods, almost immediately being enveloped by a pair strong arms. 

And this time it's okay. No flashbacks to his dream. No feeling of being constricted.  
This is more direct, more intentional. And most of all it just feels right.   
Leaning against Lillium's shoulder, shamelessly clinging to his back, while being held in return; Iris feels safe, finally feels home.

This new revelation sends another cascade of tears down his cheeks and into Lilliums shirt which is already quite drenched.  
He can't stop them and honestly, he doesn't feel like he has to stop them.  
With Lillium he feels so at ease, so free like he hasn't felt in his entire life.

"We should probably try to sleep again. If you have another nightmare, just remember that I'm here, okay? I'm here and I'll protect you no matter what." 

Iris isn't particularly eager to go to sleep, but right now in Lillium's arms, he thinks that it's probably going to be alright.

"Okay." His voice is soft and airy, as if he is afraid to destroy this moment if he spoke too loudly. "Just, please, don't let go." 

"I wont." 

He hears the smile in his voice and in return his own lips curl into a tiny smile of their own.  
They lay down again into their makeshift bed. Their position isn't the most comfortable, but being held by Lillium makes more than up for it.  
Iris feels his eyelids getting heavy, the feeling of being safe and guarded letting his body completely relax. He's almost asleep when he feels a soft kiss being pressed against his temple and a hand gently running through his hair, spreading warmth throughout his entire body.


End file.
